Dubai: The United Arab Emirates (UAE) and the US on Sunday kicked off a two-week military exercise, state news agency WAM reported."Iron Magic 19" is part of a series of joint military exercises throughout the year between the UAE armed forces and the armed forces of other countries, WAM said.

The exercise seeks to reinforce cooperation, joint actions and exchange of expertise in military areas, it added.This will contribute to "maximizing the combat capabilities and increasing coordination between the UAE and the US armed forces", the report noted.

The bulk of UAE military hardware, such as F-16 fighter jets, Mirage jets and Apache Longbow attack helicopters, are mostly manufactured by companies from the US, Britain and France.However, the UAE, a major oil supplier, has established a growing defence industry in recent years, mainly in armoured vehicles and naval military equipment.